Business and Human Rights Lawyers Association Announces New Executive Officer

The Business and Human Rights Lawyers Association is delighted to announce the appointment of Meg Roggensack as its first Executive Officer.

Launched in November 2022, the Association's vision is that law firms and business lawyers around the world recognize the responsibility to respect human rights in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and integrate this responsibility into their client services, operations and activities.  The Association serves as a platform for mutual learning among these lawyers including by the dissemination of good practice.

As Executive Officer, Ms. Roggensack will support the Association’s activities and objectives, including through a robust programme to support and strengthen business and human rights legal practice and membership outreach and collaboration to realise the Association’s global purpose.

Association Co-Chairs Rae Lindsay of Clifford Chance and Doug Cassel of King & Spalding note, “We are extremely fortunate to have a lawyer of the calibre of Meg Roggensack to serve as our Executive Officer. Meg is an expert in the field of business and human rights and is respected globally for her work in the field.  She also has proven experience in building and strengthening organisations.”

Ms. Roggensack begins her role as of 1 May 2023. She brings extensive experience in both private commercial legal practice and the non-profit sector as well as teaching, including as Co-Director of the Teach Business and Human Rights Forum, and adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center.

“Companies face globally disruptive challenges, from the COVID pandemic to the war in Ukraine to climate change,” says Ms. Roggensack.  “Business and human rights lawyers have a critical role to play in helping companies navigate these challenges, going ‘beyond compliance’ to rights-respecting and resilient governance strategies.  The Association will support this growing area of commercial legal practice, and the capacity of lawyers to advise companies on the cutting edge of this fast moving field.”

More than 30 leading global and national law firms are members of the Association, including firms headquartered in Australia, Canada, Colombia, Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.  Co-Chair Cassel noted, “As our rapidly growing membership attests, law firms are increasingly committed to this practice area and to ensuring that commercial clients are well advised on the human rights risks and opportunities in their global operations.”

Co-Chair Lindsay added, “The Association is both timely and overdue. There is a need to accelerate the dissemination of good practice in the field of business and human rights across the profession globally. We encourage lawyers to join and to help realize the Association’s goals.”

More information about the Association and membership can be found at: https://www.bhrla.org